Conventional consumer appliances generally provide one or more user interfaces that a consumer or user can utilize to direct the operations and performance of the consumer appliances. For instance, a particular consumer appliance may include multiple knobs, buttons, switches, touchscreens, or other input mechanisms through which a user can select or change various operational settings of that particular consumer appliance. As consumer appliances have become more advanced, such as through the integration and use of processing devices and advanced algorithms, user interfaces for these appliances have become increasingly complicated. Whereas past consumer appliances could be used intuitively, with little supplemental instruction or knowledge, modern consumer appliances often require in-depth knowledge or instruction to utilize all of the appliances' features.
As an example of the increasing complications in the user interfaces for consumer appliances, modern laundry appliances (e.g., washing machine appliances, dryer appliances, etc.) often include settings or options to vary an operational cycle (e.g., cleaning operation or laundry operation) based on the exact size, color, and fabric of articles being treated within the appliances. Further settings or options that vary the operational cycle based on relative energy use or additives (e.g., detergent, bleach, fabric softener, etc.) may also be available. Although such settings may be useful in preserving and treating clothes articles, many users may find it difficult to select the proper settings or even know which settings to select from an array of buttons, knobs, or animated graphical user interface (GUI). The problem may be especially pronounced if a user is forced to enter similar or redundant information in both a washing machine appliance and dryer appliance. In some instances, characteristics or occurrences during the operation of one appliance (e.g., washing machine appliance) may influence desirable settings or characteristics of another appliance (e.g., dryer appliance).
As a result, improved user interfaces for consumer appliances would be useful. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide an appliance or communications system addressing one or more of the above identified issues.